The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1887-06-18

81 heard the night doctor go by last night
and knew the hoy would die before lnorll-
ing" said an old Washington darliy oncc to
the writer And when asked him who the
night doctor wa, he rolled up his eyes in the
most painful manner to behold, shook his |
head and mutcrel some gibbcrish which l
could not understand and made some queer
motions with his hands. Among a certain
grade of negroes in Washington. particularly
those who driftcd there after tho war from
the extreme south, there prevails Il supcrsti-
tlon that is as oninous for them as the death |
tick used to bc for the ignorant peasants of
England 1t is that there ruslcs through the
street at midnight Il supernatural being,
formed like II man, having long, hook like
fingers and Il poisonous breath, and that
whenever he turns and lrcnthcs upon Il house
where Il child lies sick tho child is doomed to
death before another night. II is not onino,ls
to one TO hear the night doctor, rs this being
of superstition is called, and always after the
death of Il child the negroes got together and
ask who of them heard the night doctor pass
by. Some one is sure to assert that lc or She
heard the low, moaning, rushing sound made
by the night doctors quick flight. But it is
regarded as II surely fatal sign if any one sees
tho night doctor.
TIE NIGHT DOCTOR COMING.
Sometimes at midnight darlscs who are on
t!," street will slul'lrnly turn their faces To Il
wall and stand with their hands over their
eyes FOR some moments. They have fancird
that they have heard tho cn,ht l"ctorromn@,
and they believe that if their eyes rest upon
linn lie will turn and blow his nalo,loru,,s
blast upon them and that death will surely
speedily follow. These people are sing,ularly
reluctant, too, To speak to amy ono lilt Those
OF their own superstition about tn. might
doctor, and If they are tempted tn say any
thing they speak with uniuuI,ted manifesto
t!on uf terror. once heard an Old rolorcd
man VIII" was llrad waiter nj ON" of tho hotels
say That he knew that - man Of whom | in
uurc'l w"u!l not recover fru.n His SICKNESS
hrrHuS" the might before he WAS taken h. l.a,l
seen t'!" night doctor 90 iyins tilrouSll the
streets. lii" man did die in n day or two, and
ha'l boon dying for Il year with CON un,'pn,
hut ~ reasoning could / i"r, lli..,n tiics 'ou,d
people that h" w;tS in";ital ly duorHod before
he had the vision of tIl" III 1T ,,"ntor. But
IN" TINS OF this creature, are children, cX-
ccr! when an adult sets his eye; on it, aud
tlirl" occurs no death alnom@ t,o cllil lrcl,,
according to tl'ir belief! Nl3i'h WAS lu; on
tll, ni,fht before UNliratc'l ly ,lD' passage OF
tho uight doctor, TIE myth sonu;s To l,c
tla",ahle 4" tradition rought Is a., luces-
tors Of tlcsr pcnll" from .llri"n.
TIA" w as'inSton negroes offer most inter
cstins opportunities for study of the effects Of
freedom and political equality, and il is not
altogether enc 'luragims for those VIII" looked
fol rapid aud happy development whca the
c"!"H"l people had equal cli;tncDs with Ill"
whites. Most of them have learned to Inc
thrifty, or at least to rely upon daily work
for support I.aainrss does not prevail amons
th":n to the extent that it does further south.
Ihc'c are more opportunities for making aud
saviag money in Washington for these people
than anywhere else in '',. country, although
the negro population '',rl that Of the
city, and no city i'll tia. { .i'"d States has n
larger coored population They are very
tenacious of their civil rights, especially in
public, on the horse cars in the theatres and
at tho Capitol. They are very anxious To
own homes. and they are divided into social
sets with rs much rgor, if not hy strctcr
lines, than the white people of tie city. The
coal black negro dcspiscs Tho rua,to whilo
the lnuatto is disposed to snub the pure
blooded African But they nro all clnnnisl,
and nre most abjcct inita;ors of the white
people, even i'll the matter Of social etiquette,
and are slaves to supcrsitons as much as
they ever were upon the plantations, though
many of them strive to conceal ts trait.
LITTLE ORIGINALITY.
They show but little evidence of oreinalify
of thought, though many of them have re-
ccved fair rulimentary educatpns. The
majority Of the younger generation can read
and write. There are, Of course, some OK
ccptions to this rule but these exceptions
prove 1t. They show Us rule no aptitude
for mechanical work, and though there arc n
few good carpenters and other mechanics
among them the colorcd mans hands seem to
he clumsy with any skilled tool except the
razor and shaving brush. They have had
twenty-five years of freedom and especially
favorable opportunities to develop under this
new condition, with strcnuously cxactcl and
willingly given civil rights of all kinds, and
yet the great mass of thes. people continue to
hc lnborcrs, BARRIERS, walters, servants, cooks
and was!lerwomcn. Their slavery tn super
stitions such rs that Of the night doctor. 40
amount OF education or reading seems to free
them from, and if their churches do not
directly encourage, they at least do not froyvn
down such disposition 1t seems i!npos-ih!e
to eradicate it.
There seems to be n feeling among the
negrocsall over the country that Washington
is their true home md you will find it
expressed here ana there if you tall; with
negroes Of comparative intelligence Only II
few days ago met u rolorcl man y.lp had
been living in Bridgeport for ninc year., and
II" said lie was going to Washington 10 live.
Said he: II thought when ! camn to New
England that copred man, if he l, havel
himself and was n thrifty citizen. would
he treated like other lnen Eut h,.l that
everywhere in New England ,lie col,rc
people are compelled to live in sattl.inc4ts
by themselves. wanted to Luy alll liiil a
house in nice, respecti ti'i,'r sr IF B!!@e-
port, for dill not want 10 Hive in the df"arv
and unpleasant quarter where eel9lel Ectp!.
arc obliged To 70. Bot WHOM i, wa founl
that proposed TO live amon~ tp Whit.
people, such brcrzc ;.tls rrisenl tint ial 10
give it up. They told mo THAI it woull ruin
property on that Sire 4 If | wclt t!..ro; not
h""tuse | was "A bad on worthless man, hut
l"o;luse vas coiored 1t cyel.ywll..e in
the north VI" have bcen mad, free, bu.
no iow"r but Col "2n max us e1uol" .l4l
There was = not" Of t"s,ar in Iii, m2n, CON
vcrsa'ion which funrfel would not l,c yer,,
hard to''hangc into one of des!cration-Co
Ncw York Sun.